The Arizona Court of Appeals today smacked down Sheriff Joe Arpaio, ruling that administrators at the Maricopa County Superior Court do not have to turn over thousands of e-mails, as Arpaio had demanded.In a unanimous decision released this morning, the three-judge panel found that Superior Court Adminstrator Marcus Reinkensmeyer acted correctly…
There’s nothing like a good box-of-feces story to brighten your day. Metro light-rail spokeswoman Hillary Foose confirmed media reports that a man took a box of poop on a train this morning and threw it on the floor. Unhappy passengers disembarked at the 36th Street and Washington station, and…
Would you take financial advice from a homeless man? Lessons in humility from Simon Cowell? Follow Kirstie Alley’s diet regimen? Look for WMD’s with a map drawn by Dick Cheney? Or take an anger management class taught by Russell Crowe? Then why in tarnation would you read a book about…
The wrestling match between Governor Jan Brewer, her veteran political consultant, and other Republicans is breaking out of the cage. A conservative blog site, Gila Courier, points out that High Ground, the lobby group run by Brewer’s consultant, Chuck Coughlin, has several Republican legislators as clients. Point being that these…
The most pivotal moment in perhaps the Arizona Diamondbacks’ hoped-for turnaround took place during the top half of the second inning during their Monday-night game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in L.A. Facing Hiroki Kuroda in his first start since Opening Day, Stephen Drew led off with a double that…
Despite a lawsuit on behalf of the developmentally disabled that challenges a January budget-balancing law, the Arizona Supreme Court declined to review a Court of Appeals ruling that would allow budget cuts in services for disabled people. Among the services that can be cut are various forms of therapy and…
In the 24-hour news cycle it can be difficult to keep up. We have the solution. Check back on Valley Fever every evening for highlights from each of New Times’ blogs. Today’s entries: Feathered Bastard:Charles Ryan Attends Marcia Powell’s Memorial Service, Says He Didn’t Know Powell Had Guardian Up on…
This just in: The Arizona Supreme Court will revisit the appellate decision that struck down the city of Phoenix’s $97 million subsidy of the CityNorth development.Today’s decision to grant review is a victory for the city, which had fought for the right to give the project’s developers half of all…
The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office’s refusal to turn over public records as required by the law has once again cost taxpayers. The Arizona Supreme Court announced today it would not consider a 2007 case between the Tucson Citizen and Sheriff Joe Arpaio. That means an appeals court ruling from December, which requires the…
Governor Jan Brewer released her budget proposal today for fiscal year 2010 — as expected, she formalizes her opinion that a tax increase is needed. “Unfortunately, after considering every option, and after performing a painstaking assessment of our real economic situation, a temporary tax increase is necessary to bridge the…
Here’s something guaranteed to tick off the faithful, or at least give them something to pray about: a group of atheists, agnostics and humanists are set to convene in Tempe this week, and they’re bringing their godless message to a highway near you. You know, in a spot where hopefully…
In a memo to the Flagstaff City Council, City Manager Kevin Burke says he’s decided against offering free office space at the police building to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office:…
The typical roster of proposed laws has been postponed this year as lawmakers try to finalize a budget, but plenty of interesting bills are hiding in the wings. A long list of bills targeting illegal immigrants, for example, is being pushed by Mesa’s conservative State Senator Russell Pearce (pictured). In a…
In one new branch of yoga, the downward dog position requires a real dog. Amy Stevens, a Barbie-faced young entrepreneur from Mesa, is pushing the latest in ultra-trendy exercise options in a newly released DVD. Stevens, 24, isn’t the first to push “doga,” but claims she’s made the activity’s first and only…
The latest is, there’s a deal to put the name of the Tempe-based company on the jerseys of Phoenix Mercury players, which could open the door for similar sponsorship deals in professional sports, the Arizona Republic reports this morning. …
Police are accusing a Phoenix woman, her two young sons, and their friends of a series of local robberies, comparing the woman to the infamous Midwestern criminal of the 1930s, “Ma” Barker. Actually, this crime makes Ma Barker look like Mother Theresa. “It’s absolutely scary — and it’s disgusting,” says Detective…
Paybacks can be a major bitch. Just ask Max Scherzer. After getting blanked by the Arizona pitcher during an embarrassing 12-0 rout two weeks ago, the Atlanta Braves destroyed the 24-year-old with 10 hits over the first four innings of their 9-3 thumping of the Diamondbacks yesterday at Chase Field…
In a sports team precedent, the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury accepted a sponsorship deal with identity-theft-protection company LifeLock. According to reports, the word “LifeLock” will replace “Mercury” and “Phoenix” on the team’s jerseys…Another alleged UFO over Valley skies has been explained as something entirely terrestrial. The FAA began receiving reports of…
About 200 people packed the pews at Encanto Community Church today at noon for a memorial service for Marcia Powell, the 48-year-old inmate at Goodyear’s Perryville Prison who died early the morning of May 20. This was following her confinement the day before in an outdoor cage where she endured…
For those who haven’t seen this, the AP is reporting that the Arizona Department of Corrections “has suspended the use of all outdoor holding cells while crews retrofit them to provide shade and water” following the heat-related demise of 48-year-old Marcia Powell. Of course, this comes too late for Powell,…
In the 24-hour news cycle it can be difficult to keep up. We have the solution. Check back on Valley Fever every evening for highlights from each of New Times’ blogs. Today’s entries: Feathered Bastard: Supreme Court Nominee Sonia Sotomayor Called Racist by the Racists Up on the Sun: Local…
The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office denies that a Muslim detention officer was discriminated against because of his beard, citing Occupational Safety and Health Administration rules that require a clean shave with face masks. The office’s response runs counter to what is claimed in the lawsuit filed today by Bosnian immigrant Sinan Fazlovic…
